At Chapman Primary School teachers use an Integrated Inquiry approach to learning across a number of curriculum areas. Through our Integrated Inquiry units, students study the key learning areas of Science, History, Geography and Technology. Students have opportunities to examine the world around them by wondering, planning, analysing, creating and reflecting on their learning. They do this by engaging in units of work that are authentic and link with real world issues and allow learning to grow out of students' natural curiosity to question the world.
By organising curriculum content around central Deep Understandings and big ideas students have opportunities to learn through investigations that are both intellectually stimulating and engaging. Students are able to demonstrate their learning and understandings through the use of 'rich assessment tasks', for example - a design project using understandings and information from the inquiry to produce a product for use in a real life situation. Through the use of explicit criteria for student work and assessment tasks teachers can differentiate the expected outcomes for students to suit their level of ability. Students work both individually and in small groups to develop problem solving and higher order thinking skills as part of the inquiry process.
All units of work are based on the content provided by the Australian Curriculum and are taught in a sequential order so that skills, knowledge and understands are built upon as students progress throughout school.